The Ring is Treacherous
by frodothejedi
Summary: Frodothejedi finally has an account. An AU about what would happen if the Ring did not fall in right away. WIP from a first time author. Previously posted under Silentauthor's account. Frodo Sam story. Angsty.
1. Chapter 1

"_Sam got up. He was dazed, and blood streaming from his head dripped in his eyes. He groped forward, and then he saw a strange and terrible thing..." _–_The Return of the King_

Gollum was fighting with an unseen foe. He hissed as he swayed back and forth until finally, Gollum's hands found what he wanted. His eyes gleamed as he opened his mouth and bit down hard with his sharp fangs.

Suddenly, Frodo appeared clutching his gory hand. Sam's eyes widened with horror as he realized one of Frodo's fingers was gone. Gollum was dancing like a madman, holding the Ring aloft.

"Precious, Precious, Precious!" he yelled in ecstasy, until, even as Sam watched, he fell into the chasm. The Ring slipped out of Gollum's hands in a last attempt to save itself. It had abandoned Gollum once more.

"Precious! Precious, no!" Gollum screamed before he finally fell into the white-hot lava. The Ring, however, was dangling precariously on a ledge of the wall of the volcano.

Frodo finally tore his eyes from his bloodied hand and watched Gollum fall. Then he saw the Ring. No one could possibly reach it without jumping to their death. He picked himself up and stared at the Ring. He made his decision and got ready to jump, to pounce on the Ring like a cat. Frodo was past caring whether he lived or died. He bent his knees and…

"Mr. Frodo, no!" Sam said frantically holding his master to him. Frodo began to struggle wildly.

"Mr. Frodo! No! Stop! You're going to fall!" Sam said through tears. Frodo stopped struggling and seemed to notice Sam for the first time.

"Sam?"

"Yes, Mr. Frodo, it's your Sam. We'd best get out of here soon as possible. That cursed Ring is about to fall in any way with all this shaking going on." Sam glanced at the Ring, which still held on to the ledge.

"The Ring?" Frodo looked at it again. It was so beautiful, so shiny, so…precious. The glow from the lava below shined on it, causing it to appear to be glowing. The Ring was trying to prevent its inevitable doom. "How…how did it get there?"

"Don't you remember, Mr. Frodo? Gollum fell and the Ring landed there," Sam explained, concern covering his face. Sam seized Frodo's maimed hand. Why didn't his master remember? The ground trembled beneath them.

"Yes, Sam, I remember now," Frodo sighed. "What madness came over me?"

"It was the Ring, Mr. Frodo…" Sam started, but never finished. A screeching cry filled the air. It was full of wrath and was fearsome to hear it. The Nazgul had answered the call of the Ring and their master. How foolish they had been, not realizing the daring plan of their enemies. Frodo screamed in pain and fell to the ground. The lava licked the walls and the ground shook like an earthquake. The Ring slipped a fraction of an inch off the ledge, but still managed to hold on.

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam cried in alarm. He knelt beside Frodo, who was crying in pain and fear. His eyes stared at nothing, glazed and bloodshot. The Nazgul screeched again, louder and closer. Frodo clutched his shoulder with his bloody hand.

"Mr. Frodo! What do I do? We can't escape: the Nazgul will be out there and the Ring is not destroyed yet!" Sam exclaimed, panic creeping into his voice.

"Sam help me! They're stabbing me!" Frodo cried out pitifully from the ground, lost in memory of Weathertop. A moan escaped his lips.

"Frodo-"Sam began, but he could not continue. The ground began shaking more violently, the lava rose up higher, and it grew noisier than ever. The Nazgul were approaching the birthplace of the Ring, intent on their mission. "We've got to get out of here, whether or not the Nazgul are out there," Sam thought. "The ring should fall in any second." He scooped up Frodo from where he lay still clutching his shoulder in excruciating pain.

"It...It's alright. I...I can walk," Frodo said. He put his feet down. Immediately Frodo swayed and almost fell over.

"Let me help," Sam said, and he put an arm around his master. They half-walked, half-ran out of the volcano. Sam and Frodo made it to a large rock, where Frodo finally sank down again.

"I can't go on anymore, Sam," Frodo said. He looked up at Sam with tears in his big blue eyes.

"I know, I know, Mr. Frodo," Sam said through his own tears.

"Go on without me. I have nothing to live for. You at least have a chance," Frodo said in his despair.

"No! You've got to come with me. I won't just leave you here. We must try to hide before the Nazgul get here," Sam said. Frodo closed his eyes and sighed.

"Alright Sam," Frodo said, as Sam helped him get up. They never got farther than that. The Nazgul had arrived, and they would not let their prisoners escape again. Sauron would not make the same mistake twice.

* * *

A/N: Please review! This is my first time writing a fanfic. Updates will be prompt.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you Frodo's Sister for reviewing. You made me so happy; you're my first reviewer! :)

Also: This chapter is from the POV of the other members of the Fellowship.

Aragorn was restless. Frodo and Sam weighed heavily on his mind as he rode to the Black Gate for the battle that would either end in the obliteration of all the good of Middle Earth or the destruction of the evil of Sauron. He hoped that Frodo and Sam would be able to destroy the Ring in time. Next to him, Legolas nodded to him. After being friends for so long, he could sense when Aragorn was worried about something. He gently guided the horse closer to Aragorn.

"Do not worry, Aragorn. We cannot control what is about to happen," Legolas advised. Truthfully, Aragorn was not worried so much about the battle. He was more concerned about Frodo and Sam. How would they survive the journey back out of Mordor, even if they destroyed the Ring in time to save the soldiers in battle at the Black Gate? Aragorn gave a weak smile to the elf.

"I know."

"Are you worried about those that left?" said Legolas, referring to the soldiers who had become fearful of the evil menace of Mordor, which had been nothing but children's stories until recently. A number of them had made their doubts and fears known, and Aragorn allowed them to leave to try and retake other areas of Gondor's realm. They praised Aragorn's mercifulness at giving them a task that they felt would be possible. This left the army with far less men to fight than hoped.

"Yes, but not overmuch. There's not much we can do about it now. I am more worried about Frodo and Sam. And Pippin here," Aragorn replied. He glanced at Pippin, who was riding just behind him.

"Those hobbits…I am happy to have met them. They are strong though. They will be able to complete their task if all goes well," Legolas said fondly. "I am glad that Faramir was able to meet them and help them. I do not know how Frodo and Sam could possibly make it without the extra food and water he gave them," Legolas said. Aragorn nodded.

"I know, but that Gollum is with them. He worries me. He is treacherous."

"And so is the Ring," Legolas said sadly.

"Strider?" A weak voice from behind him broke him out of his reflection. Pippin was looking up at Aragorn, with determination in his eyes.

"Yes, Pippin?" Aragorn replied. "Pippin must feel so alone without Merry here with him," Aragorn mused to himself.

"I was wondering… I mean…Could I stay next to you during the battle? I mean in the front? Everyone seems to think that I should stay towards the back. But how can I fight with everyone in front of me?" Pippin pleaded. Aragorn sighed. Pippin obviously wanted to be as heroic as his cousin Merry.

"Pippin-"Aragorn began, about to refuse, but Gandalf cut him off.

"Yes, I think that is a good idea," Gandalf said, as if it was the final decision.

"Gandalf… I don't know. I don't want Pippin to be injured during the battle. And his height may be a serious disadvantage…" Aragorn started. Pippin now rode up next to Aragorn.

"No it's not. Boromir even said it would be an advantage to me because I can move quicker. Plus, my enemies might underestimate me. I can take them by surprise," Pippin rambled on in his defense. Gimli then piped up.

"Aragorn, Pippin is not much shorter than I am and you do not order me to stay in the back. I would have thought that you would not doubt the strength of the hobbits after what you have seen them do." Aragorn thought back to Weathertop, Moria, and all the other instances when the hobbits had shown their courage. He looked at Gandalf, who nodded with a smile.

"Alright Pippin. It seems that I am overruled," Aragorn told Pippin. Pippin smiled, his gratefulness obvious. He nodded to Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf in thanks for taking his side. Aragorn smiled too. Sometimes the hobbits reminded him so much of children.

"Pippin," Aragorn said sternly. "You must stay close to me, or to Gandalf, or Legolas and Gimli. Your size may give you an advantage when fighting, but it may be hard to find you because of your height."

"I understand," Pippin said seriously. "I will stay by you." He went back to riding behind Aragorn, and became lost in thought.

"Hobbits. They always seem to get their way," Aragorn said, smiling.

"Pippin, I think, asks this for love of Frodo and Sam. Pippin has never failed to show his devotion to them," Gandalf said seriously. Aragorn nodded again at Gandalf's wise words.

"Gandalf, can you tell if Frodo and Sam are close to completing their task? Or if they are even alive?" Aragorn asked.

"They are beyond my sight," Gandalf said, sighing.

The army continued to ride. It grew eerily silent; even the birds made no noise. The fear of the entire army seemed to grow with every step closer they came to Mordor.

That night, they made camp, and everyone fell into a restless sleep. Aragorn, however, could not fall asleep. He sat outside his tent, keeping alive a small fire, in the same way he often did when journeying with the four hobbits together to Rivendell. Legolas joined him silently about dawn. As an elf, he did not feel the need to sleep as often, so he joined Aragorn in his watch. The two did not speak, taking comfort in the other's mere presence.

Aragorn was able to begin riding the next day fairly early. They reached the Black Gate at about noon. No one was there. Not a single orc could be seen on the Gate. Aragorn feared some evil trap. As the army made preparations for the battle, Aragorn felt a sense of doom. He feared that no one would be coming back from this battle.

TBC

Please review! Updates will be prompt.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry this took so long. I was really busy this week. Please review! We are back to Frodo and Sam's POV.

Chapter 3

The Nazgul swooped down over Frodo and Sam. Frodo had already fainted from the pain, both from his finger, and the old wound at his shoulder. Sam still held Frodo's hand as he cowered in terror. The fell beasts were circling lower and lower over Frodo and Sam, until two of them grabbed the hobbits in their sharp talons. Sam blacked out. The Nazgul then flew toward the Dark Tower. Their master would be eager to meet the two hobbits.

The fell beasts brutally dropped the two ringbearers to the rocky ground outside the Dark Tower, jolting them awake. Orcs quickly surrounded them and forced the two to their feet.

"Get up you lazy slugs!" an orc jeered at them. Frodo and Sam suppressed groans as they attempted to get to their feet. Sam barely succeeded, but Frodo swayed and would have fallen over if Sam hadn't grabbed his arm. He shot Sam a grateful look.

"Follow me little cockroaches," another orc said with an evil grin. He sneered.

"Wait 'til I get my hands on you," a different orc said while fingering his knife.

"No you won't, Nasha. They're to be saved for the Big Master," the first orc said. Nasha snarled but backed off.

Frodo and Sam were struggling to stay on their feet. By this time, Frodo had lost a lot of blood from his finger, and it was still bleeding. The orcs and Frodo and Sam reached the entrance to the Dark Tower. The great black mass loomed over them ominously. Both of the hobbits were in agony as they were forced to climb the steep stairs. Sam prayed that he and Frodo would be able to keep going and not faint: he imagined what would happen to them if they fell or fainted, and it was not pleasant.

"Hurry up you slugs!" Nasha snarled. "The Big Master won't be kept waiting!" Sam cringed as the orc's whip fell on his back. The skin broke, and he began bleeding. Even worse for Sam, the orc whipped Frodo. Frodo tried to suppress a cry, but failed. He fell on the stairs and laid there like a dead thing. The orc whipped Frodo again, causing more blood to spill out.

"Get up! Get up now!" Nasha screamed his wrath apparent.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Sam yelled. "You'll kill him!" Frodo continued to lay on the stairs, giving no indication that he lived. Sam was deathly afraid. Why were they being captured? He thought Sauron would be overthrown after the Ring was destroyed. Unless the Ring hadn't fallen in yet?

"Oh get him up already. You-," Nasha said, pointing to a cruel looking orc. "Carry him. Keep moving! Don't just stare at 'im!" Nasha said, addressing Sam. Sam jumped and continued climbing the stairs. He tried to stay near the orc that had slung Frodo across his back like a sack of flour. He glanced at Frodo often, more concerned about his master than himself. Frodo continued to lose blood from his back, and his finger was still bleeding slightly. Frodo looked very pale. Sam's back was still bleeding as well, and he felt the sticky warmth slide down his back. He also felt himself starting to become light headed. His feet ached from being constantly cut up by the rocks and gravel of Mordor.

After climbing a seemingly endless amount of stairs, the orcs forced them in to a room filled with chains and shackles. The two hobbits were roughly shoved into a corner and left alone for a moment. Sam tried to wake Frodo to no avail. It was not too long before four orcs came back.

"You there! Wake your sniveling friend!" the leader orc said to Sam. Sam turned to Frodo and gently shook him.

"Mr. Frodo, wake up! It's your Sam; you've got to wake up!" Sam tried to keep his voice steady. Sam almost thought that Frodo would not wake, but Frodo finally groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

"Sam?" Frodo said weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes-" Sam started, weeping openly, but could not continue because the orc kicked Frodo and Sam, getting an agonized groan out of Frodo and a growl of anger from Sam.

"Take off your clothes and give us anything you have with you," the orc ordered.

"You want us to what?" Sam asked incredulously. Frodo had already obeyed, and was dutifully removing his clothes. He gave Sam a look of sympathy.

"Take. Off. Your. Clothes. Now!" the orc said viciously. Frodo and Sam slowly and painfully removed their clothes, leaving their underclothes on. Frodo, however, could not remove his shirt because of the sticky blood that plastered it to his back. Frodo gave Sam a questioning look, and Sam helped him take it off. They put their things in a pile in front of the leering orcs. The three other orcs snatched them up and took them to another corner of the room and began savagely looking through them.

"Now for the questioning. And if you don't answer me, you'll wish you'd never been born!" the leader orc said to a fearful looking Frodo and Sam.

"Where is the Ring?"

Silence.

"Let me make this perfectly clear. I you do not answer me, you'll wish _you'd never been born._" The orc said. "Where is the Ring?"

Silence.

A whip cracked over their backs.

"WHERE IS THE RING?"

TBC

Please review! I hope someone besides Frodo's Sister is reading!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: OMG! So sorry this took so long. This chapter was actually finished two days after chapter 3 went up, but silentauthor wouldn't post until I finished chapter 5. Which I just now did. Anyway, here it is. Review responses below.

The Black Gate loomed above the company. Aragorn shot a glance at Gandalf, who rode over to him.

"The Dark Lord has hidden himself," Gandalf said.

"To what end, I wonder," Aragorn said.

"Announce yourself as the King Elessar," Gandalf advised.

"I will, my friend," Aragorn said. He gestured to Prince Imrahil. "Announce me to our enemies."

"As you wish, my lord Aragorn," Prince Imrahil responded.

"Announce me as King Elessar," Aragorn instructed. Imrahil gave Aragorn a confused look, but he bowed his head and rode away.

A few minutes later, Imrahil and the banner carriers for Gondor, Rohan, and the other regions that were present gathered in front of the host. The banner carriers held their banners up proudly.

"The king of Gondor and Arnor, King Elessar Telcontar, in representation of all the free peoples of the West, has come to challenge Sauron for all the atrocities he has committed unjustly. Let him come forth now and relinquish his dominion!" Imrahil announced loudly and clearly. Nothing changed. Noone moved from behind the Black Gate.

Merry and Pippin watched in awe. Strider had never seemed so kingly and regal before. Legolas and Gimli looked on in pride.

"At last, he has embraced his kingship. I have waited long enough for this day," Legolas said quietly to Gimli. Gimli nodded and smiled. But his smile quickly faded. The gates began to open, slowly and ominously.

"WHERE IS THE RING?"

Frodo screamed in agony. He could not take the torture much longer, not after the grueling journey across Gorgoroth Plain trying to destroy the Ring. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the sound of the evil orcs.

The orc turned to the three orcs in the corner, searching through the clothes. "Go fetch Rashnak. See what he wants to do with the two slugs we have here." Then he turned back to the hobbits.

"I said _where _is the _Ring?_" the orc yelled at Frodo. He whipped Frodo again. Frodo yelped.

"Please…Please… stop it…don't hurt him…anymore," Sam pleaded pitifully. He could barely speak through his pain and tears.

"Oho! Trying to stick up for your little rat friend here are ya?" the orc snarled at Sam. "Let's see how he stands up to this!"

Sam's eyes widened in fear. The orc held a long chain, with brutishly long spikes attached. Frodo looked up fearfully, and his eyes widened. Frodo tried to scoot closer to Sam, hoping he would provide some protection, but found he couldn't move without stabbing pain in his back. Then, catching him by surprise, the orc brought the chain down on Frodo's back. Frodo screamed and arched his back. The spikes had caught in his skin, biting deep and causing blood to flow down in huge amounts.

"Stop it! Stop it! You'll kill him!" Sam screamed hysterically. Then he amazingly got up and tried to tackle the orc. The orc shoved Sam aside easily, causing him to black out, but this slight movement in the orc's arm caused the spikes to tear the skin on Frodo's back even more. Frodo screamed again, struggling to breathe through the pain. Then the orc tore the chain out of Frodo's back, and brought it down again.

"Where is the Ring! If you don't tell me, you'll feel worse pain than this!" the orc screamed. _Maybe I should just tell him where it is…_Frodo thought. _But then Sauron would be able to find the Ring, since it got stuck on the ledge._ Frodo thought of Sam, and Merry and Pippin, and the rest of the fellowship. _If I fail, the world will fall under Sauron's control._ Then in perhaps one of the bravest things Frodo ever did on the quest, he spoke.

"I… will not… tell you… where it… is," Frodo said shakily. The orc screamed in rage and whipped Frodo with the chain three times in rapid succession, Frodo yelping each time. Then he dropped the chain and picked Frodo up off the ground with his claws. Frodo yelled and weakly tried to fight back. The orc raised Frodo over his head and threw him savagely on the ground. Frodo immediately blacked out.

The leader orc of the entire Dark Tower, Rashnak, chose this time to enter the room. He glanced cruelly at the two prone figures unconscious on the floor.

"The Mouth has need of them," he said coldly. Then he turned and left the room. A group of orcs dressed for battle then entered the room.

"Get 'em dressed," one of them said," we want them to look _presentable._" The orcs laughed.

A short time later, after a great amount of struggling and cries of pains from the hobbits and jeering from the orcs, the hobbits were dressed again in their orc disguises. Amazingly, the two hobbits were standing. Frodo, however, was leaning heavily on Sam and was looking like he might keel over at any moment.

"Get goin', get goin,'" one of the orcs said, "We gotta get to the Gate fast. The Mouth can't wait too long." The orcs drove the two hobbits forward. Frodo made it about two yards before he fell face forward. Sam caught him before he could fall onto the ground.

"One of you- carry them. And make it quick!" the orc commanded. The orcs set off at a running speed down the great staircase of the tower. Frodo and Sam tried to block the painful jostling from their mind, and focus on pleasant thoughts, if that was possible in the accursed land of Mordor.

After hours of running, the company of orcs from the tower, joined by thousands of other orcs, finally made it to the black Gate. Frodo and Sam were rudely shoved to the ground, waking them from their stupor. The Mouth of Sauron sauntered over to the hobbits on his horse. Frodo shuddered to see such evil.

"Send them to me when the Gate opens again. Their friends will be… quite glad to see them," he said, laughing wickedly.

The Gates opened.

Well, how was that? And now for review responses:

Delia Brethilwen: I'm glad you like it. And I'm so happy I have someone excited to see what comes next! I checked out your profile. Another new fanfictioner! I only discovered fanfiction about three months ago and have been mulling over possible ideas for forever. And I came up with this. And I'm insanely curious about what your name means. I even put it in an Elvish translator, and nothing came up. Hmm… Thanks for making one of your favorite stories. If you like hobbit angst/hurt/comfort stories, try Frodo Baggins of Bag End or Larner. Excellent stuff.

Falca: Yay! You like my story! And yes, I pride myself on my good grammar. I can't stand fanfics that have spelling errors, or bad punctuation, or the worst: homonym errors. (Like there and their). So _annoying_. Silent Author checks for that too. (I am frodothejedi, a different person from Silent Author) Keep reading!

Nashua: Thanks! FYI, when the story has a different ending, or is changed from its original form, it's called AU, or alternate universe. It took me awhile to figure that out too. And no, you didn't make any mistakes. Your English is probably better than most native speakers. What is your native language? Sorry this took so long!

I love Frodo: I know. Angst is the greatest. Frodo fainting is so cute. And surprisingly, when his finger is bit off in the movie, I don't get grossed out. Probably because I've seen it 20+ times. ;) And I love Frodo too! (can't you tell haha)

A/N: Do you guys like the Frodo/Sam POV or the Aragorn/Legolas/ Gimli/Gandalf/Merry/Pippin POV? Let me know. There are some parts to the story where it will have to be one or the other, but which one do you think I do best? Remember this is my first fanfic. :) Remember to review please!

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Review responses below. Remember to review. Send me your ideas.

The Mouth of Sauron sauntered through the gates. He rode the evil-looking horse with a malicious grin on his hideous mouth. The gates closed; the horse came to a stop just outside of them.

Gandalf and Aragorn rode closer to the Mouth. Legolas and Gimli followed. Eomer glanced at Legolas, with a silent question in his eyes. _Should I ride forward as well?_ Legolas nodded to him. Eomer and Pippin rode next to the elf and dwarf as they followed Aragorn and Gandalf.

"Who is this? Not old Greybeard, surely! He would not stick his nose out now! He has, perhaps, stuck it out too far," the Mouth sneered in his deep voice.

"Do not waste our time with foul words! What have you come to say?" Gandalf said angrily. The Mouth ignored him.

"Ah! The imposter heir of Isildur does not dare to speak! What have you to say, Aragorn son of Arathorn? Surely not anything of great import!" the Mouth snarled.

"Ambassadors would do well to do their business with politeness and respect," Aragorn said scathingly. The Mouth scowled.

"The Lord Sauron makes thee an offer thee cannot refuse: you are to give up control of these lands in favor of a more able leader. You shall be left to your own devices if you follow the rule of Sauron," the Mouth announced.

"These terms are unreasonable. We demand that you and your Lord depart these lands, never to return. He has committed atrocities that cannot be forgiven," Gandalf said with authority.

"Since thee have most unwisely refused the Lord Sauron's most gracious terms, I have been bidden to show you a token that may convince thee to accept!" the Mouth said angrily. The Mouth suddenly pulled from the folds of his hideous robe Frodo's mithril shirt. There was an audible gasp from Pippin. The Mouth seemed to delight in this. Gandalf immediately felt grief; if the enemy had captured the hobbits… Gandalf shuddered internally.

Meanwhile, Aragorn felt a huge amount of rage build up inside of him. He would avenge every hurt the hobbits had endured and more. He hid his emotions well, however.

"They have suffered much. Will you now agree to the Lord Sauron's offer? He only wishes to avoid further unnecessary death," sneered the Mouth.

"We will not submit to this offer. Do you think that we will give up our entire realm for two hobbits?" Aragorn ached as he said this, knowing he had probably just caused more pain and suffering and possibly the death of Frodo and Sam.

"It was thought that thou would refuse even this offer. I have something else to show thee," the Mouth said. He backed up. The gates opened. Several orcs filed through. Then Gandalf saw his worst fear before his eyes: Frodo and Sam had been captured.

The Gates opened. Frodo and Sam were quickly forced to their feet. A few orcs marched through the widening gates, while others marched behind them. The two hobbits stumbled after the orcs leading them and gasped at the sight before them. An army was standing ready to fight, and in front of the army were their friends. Frodo nearly fainted at the sight of Gandalf looking very much alive.

"Frodo! Sam!" Pippin yelled out. He was so happy to see his cousin and his gardener; he thought he'd never see them again, especially after the Mouth had revealed the mithril shirt. Everyone was so elated to be seeing the beloved hobbits that they almost didn't notice the condition they were in. Then Frodo fell flat on his face. Sam tried to catch him, but simply couldn't. He was far too exhausted. Sam sank to his knees and feebly began rubbing his master's back.

Aragorn's eyes widened in shock at seeing the two hobbits appear before him. Gandalf gasped softly. He never thought that the Dark Lord would bring the two hobbits to the Gate if they were captured. Gandalf felt the little hope he had left dwindle. If the Ring was in the hands of Sauron… there was no hope. The Mouth grinned.

"I see this was a surprise to you. Will you now accept my Lord's offer?" the Mouth asked.

"No. We demand that the Halflings be surrendered to us," Aragorn demanded, his eyes filled with hate for the Mouth.

"Very well. You have chosen the fate of the two spies," the Mouth said, referring to Frodo and Sam, who had sunk to the ground. "They will fight in the battle. To their death."

Aragorn looked shocked, but recovered quickly. He felt the little hope he had left dwindle. He still had a small sliver of hope left, however.

"Not if I can help it. You…" he started to say, but was interrupted by the Mouth abruptly turning to the orcs.

"Prepare the prisoners for battle," the Mouth commanded. He turned around briefly and looked at Aragorn mockingly. "Today you shall be defeated."

Aragorn's nostrils flared in anger as he drew his sword. "You will not live to see tomorrow's sunrise," he yelled. Then he looked at Gandalf. But Gandalf was watching the scene before him play out with deadened eyes.

Sam tried to stay aware of his surroundings, even as black framed his sight. He heard the exchange between Aragorn and the Mouth as if it were from a great distance away. As the exchange ended, he noticed orcs approaching him from the corner of his eye. He cringed unconsciously from fear of what they would do to himself and Frodo. Then he was dimly aware of an orc grabbing his shoulder roughly. He screamed in pain and desperation. If only he could reach Strider and Pippin.

Then the orcs grabbed Frodo. Immediately, Frodo was knocked from his sleep. He shrieked, woken in the midst of a nightmare, only to wake up to another one in reality. As Sam tried to help Frodo stand upright, even if he could barely do so himself, Sam nearly shouted in the unfairness of the whole situation. _I thought this would end when we destroyed the Ring! Sauron was supposed to be defeated!_ Then the orcs thrust a sword into his hand, and suddenly he was surrounded by charging orcs.

TBC

Review!


	6. Chapter 6

Sam held the sword in his hand, looking at it as if he'd never seen it before. The orcs continued to charge forward, surrounding both Sam and Frodo. It was obvious that the orcs expected them to fight and be killed in the process, either by an orc or one from their own side who mistook them for orcs. Sam threw the sword down and put an arm around Frodo. The best thing for them to do would be to find Aragorn or Legolas—someone who would recognize them.

However, moving forward was extremely difficult for Frodo and Sam. Frodo was barely staying upright, and Sam was having trouble of his own. The crush of orcs prevented them from moving forward even a few feet. Sam thought he heard someone calling his and Frodo's name. He caught a brief glimpse of Pippin among the thousands of orcs. Sam tried to make his way toward the sound of Pippin's voice.

"I'm coming!" Sam started to say, but his voice was worn out and was almost a whisper. Pippin would never hear him, especially with the noise from the battle. Suddenly, an orc from the behind them tackled Sam and Frodo to the ground. Sam frantically kicked at the orc to shove him off to no avail. To his surprise, Frodo seemed to be aware of what was happening and tried to help Sam. The orc had stopped trying to hold the two hobbits down. Together, they succeeded in shoving the orc from on top of them. Sam climbed to his feet, and helped Frodo up. Then they saw what had caused the orc to stop struggling: an arrow was sticking straight out of the orc's back.

Sam realized that the orcs seemed to be thinning out around them. He looked up and saw some of the men mounted on horses, both fighting with their swords, and shooting arrows.

"_That must be who shot the orc," _Sam thought_. _But then he realized that the horsemen were coming closer to them, and they seemed to not realize that they were approaching two small, helpless hobbits.

"Come on, Mr. Frodo. We best be getting out of here before were trampled to death," Sam told Frodo. Frodo gave a brief nod, and Sam was heartened to see that Frodo was making an effort to stay conscious. Sam marveled that Frodo was even still alive, after all the wounds he received.

Dimly, Sam heard an arrow whistling off to his right. He paid it no heed, however: there were arrows flying all over the place. But then Frodo lurched and fell to the ground out of Sam's protective arm. Sam dropped to his knees beside him. Frodo's face was grey, and an arrow was lodged in his lower right leg.

* * *

As soon as the battle began, Aragorn tried to reach the hobbits, but it was impossible with all the orcs charging forward. So Aragorn concentrated on killing as many orcs as possible, while still heading in the general direction that he had last seen the hobbits. His anger at the orcs for their treatment of Frodo and Sam was still fresh, and he used it to maximize his sword movements.

Pippin, meanwhile, had raced toward Frodo and Sam as soon as possible. He ignored the orcs and the battle going on around him and simply tore toward his friends. Occasionally an orc would start attacking him, and he would briefly pause to fight it off. He used his height to his advantage, and managed to kill quite a few orcs. Then he saw them. Frodo and Sam were hanging on to each other for dear life, and amazingly, the orcs seemed to be ignoring them. He called out to them.

"Frodo! Sam! I'm coming toward you!" he yelled. Sam's eyes met his, and hope seemed to fill his eyes. But then they passed out of sight as more orcs blocked his way to the hobbits. Pippin groaned and began slashing his way through the orcs.

"Oh Mr. Frodo! What should I do? Elbereth what do I do?" Sam cried. He tried to stop the flow of blood from Frodo's leg, but it continued to pour out. Frodo flinched violently and Sam's touch and cried out in pain. "Don't hurt it!" Frodo said. He looked at his leg and nearly passed out from the sight of the blood.

"I won't Frodo!" Sam said, while still crying. Then a massive rumbling filled the air.

Sam looked up, as did everyone else fighting. The noise was coming from Mordor. The volcano that was Mount Doom was exploding, and the Dark Tower crumbled down to the ground. Sam realized that the Ring had finally fallen off the ledge.

The orcs around them began running away from the Gondorians and everyone else present at the battle. Their weapons clattered to the ground. One of the last things that Sam saw before he passed out from exhaustion was an orc crush Frodo's left arm as he ran in fear. Frodo screamed feebly and fainted.

Gandalf watched in relief as the evil Dark Tower crumbled to the ground. His first thought was to get to Frodo and Sam as soon as possible. Their eyes met for a moment before Aragorn dashed off to find the two hobbits.

"Frodo! Sam!" Aragorn called. Legolas, Eomer, and Gimli soon joined the search. They were searching for perhaps half an hour before Gimli asked, "Where's Pippin?"

Legolas looked grave. "I have not seen him since the battle began," he said.

Not long after, Gimli saw a foot sticking out from under a large dead troll. He heaved the troll off and called for Aragorn.

"I have found one hobbit. His hip seems to be nastily injured," Gimli said, after he stopped weeping. Aragorn carried Pippin off to a healing tent being set up hastily nearby.

Gandalf, Eomer, Legolas, and Gimli continued searching for Frodo and Sam, hoping against hope that they would be found unhurt.

A/N: TBC Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

The search for Frodo and Sam continued. Aragorn had to stop searching as he attended Pippin with Gimli. The hobbit was seriously injured, and Gimli was beside himself with worry.

"We did not run across the plains of Rohan, only to have you die now!" Gimli said as he assisted Aragorn. Pippin woke briefly once his main injuries had been taken care of. He simply looked at Aragorn and said "I saw them." He then winced in obvious pain and fell back into unconsciousness. Once Aragorn had sent Pippin into a healing sleep, he called for Elladan to watch over him in case he woke in pain. Then Aragorn rushed back to help search for the Ringbearers, knowing that they would need his help most of all.

When Aragorn made it back to the search going on, the two hobbits had still not been found. The search had become even more desperate because of the elapsed amount of time that the hobbits had been missing. Aragorn silently cursed Sauron, the Mouth and every orc in Mordor who had caused the hobbits to suffer so much.

"Legolas! Use your elf eyes—what do you see?" Aragorn asked when the Prince of Mirkwood had climbed a slight hill, surveying the surrounding area. It was the highest point in the area, and he hoped he would spot two smaller forms among the larger orcs. He scanned the area, seeing nothing that might possibly be the hobbits, until he saw something that might possibly be a hobbit sized sword. He immediately called out to Aragorn and ran to where he thought he saw them. The rest of the searchers joined him.

Legolas and Aragorn reached the two prostrate hobbits first. Sam was unconscious, but amazingly Frodo was not. His face clenched in extreme pain, he looked up at Aragorn and tried to speak, but couldn't say his name.

"Don't speak Frodo. It is amazing that you are conscious at all," Aragorn said in amazement. Frodo, however, seemed intent on asking one thing.

"Is It destroyed?" he said in a barely perceptible whisper. Aragorn nodded.

"You accomplished your task, Frodo. The Ring was destroyed and Sauron and all his servants thrown down," Gandalf said. Frodo's eyes grew wide at seeing Gandalf, seeming to realize at last that Gandalf was alive, even though he had seen him before. Aragorn began to pick him up, being careful of the leg with the arrow sticking out of it. He happened to bump one of Frodo's arms and Frodo whimpered in pain. Then he fell into unconsciousness.

"Legolas—help me carry Sam. Gimli, go prepare a place for them and bring anything you think necessary for them. And bring water!" Aragorn said, his authority radiating off his voice, yet sounding almost desperate. Legolas gently lifted Sam with the grace of an elf, while Aragorn carried Frodo. Gandalf walked along with them, his face grave. Aragorn put his fingers at the pulse point on Frodo's neck, checking for the heartbeat. It was there, but only weakly pulsed. Frodo whimpered in pain and Aragorn began walking a bit faster, but still mindful of the injuries.

Finally they reached the tents. Aragorn and Legolas brought the Ringbearers to a more isolated place in the large tent holding the wounded. Gimli had brought water and clean cloths, and Gandalf immediately began cleansing the two hobbits of the filth of Mordor. Elladan and Elrohir approached and began assisting Aragorn. They pulled the arrow out of Frodo's leg and stopped the bleeding as best as they could. Aragorn brow furrowed.

"He has lost so much blood," he said, noting Frodo's pale face. Then Aragorn turned his attention to Frodo's arm, which he had previously noticed to hurt Frodo when touched or jostled. Aragorn shifted the arm to examine it more closely. Immediately, Frodo grimaced and amazingly woke up.

"Aragorn?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Frodo? Aragorn stopped examining Frodo and looked at him in amazement. "How are you conscious?"

"You were twisting my broken arm," Frodo replied, somewhat wryly. He gave a ghost of a smile, whimpered and passed out again. Aragorn began to weep silently and enveloped Frodo in a hug, mindful of the small hobbit's injuries.

"I am glad you are with us, small brother," Aragorn said quietly. He then began setting Frodo's arm, taking advantage of the unconsciousness. Gandalf looked at Frodo sorrowfully.

"I should not have sent him on such a perilous journey," Gandalf said, the grief evident in his voice.

"Would you have Middle Earth be sunk under the oppression of Sauron? It was necessary to have Frodo destroy the Ring. Although I, too, regret that it had to be him. He does not deserve this suffering," Aragorn replied as he continued to work.

Then Aragorn discovered Frodo's scarred back. His fists tightened and he halted his examination of Frodo.

"How dare they do this? They _whipped _the _Ringbearer_! Those foul orcs _beat_ the sweetest, most gentle, bravest, and innocent hobbit ever!" Aragorn ranted. He frantically looked about him, and snatched up the water pitcher from the table and smashed it on the ground. Then he sank to his knees at Frodo's bed, grabbed the scarred, yet almost child-like hand and sobbed. Gandalf glanced at Frodo's back and looked graver than ever. He did not attempt to stop Aragorn from smashing the pitcher. He simply watched, and placed his hand on Aragorn's shoulder when he sank to the ground. Elladan and Elrohir watched in sympathy, but continued working on Sam.

Seeming to regain control over his emotions, Aragorn called for more water. Once it came, he began tenderly washing Frodo's back, but not bandaging them yet: he did not want them to stick to the fresher wounds and cause more pain for Frodo.

Frodo having been stabilized for the moment, Aragorn moved over to Sam and Gandalf gently fed Frodo small sips of water. He massaged Frodo's throat, encouraging the much abused body to swallow.

Sam was considerably less injured than Frodo, but was in more desperate need for water than Frodo, having stinted himself when in Mordor. His feet were more scarred than Frodo's because of his bravery in carrying Frodo up Mount Doom, though Aragorn did not know of this yet.

As Aragorn was tending Sam, Frodo continued to sleep. However, Frodo began thrashing around fretfully. Then he sat up, eyes wide but unseeing, screaming.

Then he looked directly at Aragorn and said, "They're coming!"

TBC

Please Review!


	8. Chapter 8

Aragorn's eyes widened when Frodo declared that someone, or something, was coming. Then Frodo abruptly fell over and lay as still as a dead thing.

"Frodo! Frodo! Who is coming?" Aragorn yelled, not stopping to think. He grabbed Frodo's shoulders none too gently and stared into Frodo's now closed eyes.

Elladan approached Aragorn from the other side of Sam's bed. He carefully placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder, fearing that any slight touch would cause Aragorn to do something drastic.

"I think that he was in the midst of an evil dream," he explained quietly. Aragorn began to weep, the exhaustion of the last few months beginning to catch up to him. He released Frodo's shoulders and held onto Frodo's bandaged hand.

"I wish none of this had to happen to Frodo. He is not deserving of this," Aragorn said, still weeping. Elladan moved closer to Frodo's head and brushed away a few of Frodo's locks of hair off of his sweaty brow. Then he looked at Aragorn sadly.

"So do us all, Aragorn. But do not blame yourself for this. Why don't you go catch a few hours of sleep, Aragorn? You have not slept in over twenty-four hours now. You would be able to tend him much better after a few hours of rest," Elladan said consolingly.

"My heart bids me to stay, Elladan, but I fear that you are right. I will take a few hours rest," Aragorn replied. He left the tent after kissing both Frodo and Sam on their brows. _Sam seems to be recovering quickly, _Aragorn thought, _but Frodo still seems feverish._

Elladan continued to tend the two hobbits, trying to get them to swallow a few mouthfuls of water. Gandalf came I and assisted him. This was no easy task, since both hobbits were still deeply asleep. They slept a few hours more, until Frodo finally awoke.

_I am dead._ That was Frodo's first conscious thought when he awoke. But then—warmth. Comfort. Light. _How could I be warm when I'm dead?_ Then he felt a dull pain in his finger, rather what used to be his finger. Then he began to remember. The memories rushed back and he groped for the Ring. The journey into Mordor and the thirst. Sam. The Mountain. The Ring constantly on his mind telling him to do things that Frodo never would have done before._ Gollum_. Immediately he felt pity for the wretched creature. And guilty that he could not save Gollum when it came to it.

Finally, he opened his eyes and saw Elladan or Elrohir, he couldn't tell which, and Gandalf. His blue eyes widened. _Gandalf! I really must be dead._

Frodo tried to sit up, but lacked the strength to do so. The elf gently guided hi back to rest his head on the soft pillows.

"Well, Frodo. So you have finally decided to wake up," Gandalf said with a smile, but the tears in his eyes giving him away.

"I'm not dead then? How…? I saw you fall Gandalf!" Frodo said, as if he was disappointed that Gandalf had not died, and yet surprise and hope filled his voice as it gained strength.

"No, my dear hobbit. I have not died, and neither have you, to the amazement of us all," Gandalf replied, hugging Frodo, but staying mindful of his injuries. Frodo laughed, and everyone's spirits lifted to hear the Ringbearer's voice peal in happiness and sheer joy to be alive.

"Then I am glad to be alive," Frodo said. Then he suddenly grew sober. "But how is everyone else? Merry? Pippin? "Legolas and Gimli? I already know about Boromir," he said sadly.

"They are fine, Frodo. You need to rest, however," Gandalf said sternly, noting that Frodo had broken a light sweat even though he had yet to sit up. Frodo nodded, but then his bright blue eyes widened.

"Sam!" he asked frantically, fearful that something had happened to his dear friend.

"He is fine. Look," Gandalf said, pointing to where Sam slept on, oblivious to the conversation happening. Frodo turned to look where Gandalf was pointing. He saw he friend's chest moving up and down and relaxed visibly.

"He'll be alright, won't he Gandalf?" Frodo asked softly, about to fall asleep again.

"Of course, As will you, if you would get some rest," Gandalf said. Frodo nodded. "Go to sleep," Gandalf said. And Frodo slept his long burden over and his fear s relieved.

_When Sam awoke, he found that he was lying on some soft bed, but over him gently swayed wide beechen boughs, and through their young leaves sunlight glimmered, green and gold. All the air was full of a sweet mingled scent…_

_(From _The Return of the King_, The Field of Cormallen)_

The End.

Well, the end has come. I finished my first fanfic! Yay! I know it's short, but I don't think I need to do a longer one. Although I might be persuaded to add some stuff later. I can't do too much, though because the Ring DOES have to fall in pretty quickly. Otherwise I might've done a much longer fic.

Thank you to Silentauthor, for helping me get started, posting it on your account until I got my own and being my beta for the first few chapters.

Also thanks to Alatar, Eleanor, and Poop (?) for their reviews.

I will be doing another LOTR fic involving a wife of Frodo's (AU of course). I've started working on it, and it should be much longer than this one, hopefully. I hope to have a few chapters done before I start posting it.


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